5 Bacterial Vaginosis Prevention Measures

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Scented soaps may contain harsh chemicals that can irritate your vaginal area and cause a bacterial reaction

The risk of getting bacterial vaginosis is higher when you’re sexually active, but there are certain things you can do to protect yourself, such as having your male partner use a condom

As mentioned previously, the exact causes of bacterial vaginosis aren’t fully understood, so there’s no sure way of completely preventing it from happening. In short, every woman has a risk of developing this condition. However, there are some precautions you can take to lower that risk, such as:1

• Avoid Using Scented Soaps

Scented soaps may contain harsh chemicals that can irritate your vaginal area and cause a bacterial reaction. The same goes for other scented products, such as perfumed bubble baths. Instead, use triclosan- and fragrance-free soap to help prevent an imbalance from occurring.

• Douching Is Not Recommended

Despite what you see and hear on advertisements, douching is not recommended. Flushing your vagina with water will disrupt the healthy bacterial balance and cause the bad bacteria to take over.

• Practice Safe Sex

The risk of getting bacterial vaginosis is higher when you’re sexually active, but there are certain things you can do to protect yourself, such as having your male partner use a condom. In addition, you should limit the number of your sex partners or abstain from intercourse altogether.

Not only will this help reduce your risk of bacterial vaginosis, but sexually transmitted diseases as well.

• Proper Toilet Hygiene

It’s important to wash your anus and vagina every day to keep harmful bacteria away. Wiping from front to back after urination and defecation will also help prevent harmful bacteria from entering the vagina.2

• Consume a Balanced Diet

Eat food rich in probiotics, vitamins and minerals to help boost your immune system and increase your body’s ability to repel harmful bacteria. Here are more useful healthy eating tips that can help prevent bacterial vaginosis.

Regularly Follow up With Your Doctor

Due to various factors such as hormones, diet, sexual activity, pregnancy and the environment, it’s quite possible for bacterial vaginosis to return once it has been treated. In fact, up to 70 percent of women have repeat episodes of bacterial vaginosis. However, it’s not fully understood how this infection happens. It’s possible that an environmental factor disrupted the bacterial balance, or you failed to adequately reseed your vaginal flora with probiotics.3

In any case, you should schedule regular visits with your doctor during and after treating your bacterial vaginosis. This will help you explore other treatment methods should your current ones fail to work.

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If you want to use an article on your site please click here. This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Dr. Mercola is required.

Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your health care professional before using products based on this content.

If you want to use an article on your site please click here. This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Dr. Mercola is required.